Controlled release systems for drug delivery are often designed to administer drugs in specific areas of the body. In this regard, it is critical that the drug not be entrained beyond the desired site of action and eliminated before it has had a chance to exert a topical effect or to pass into the bloodstream. If a drug delivery system can be made to adhere sufficiently to a cavity or a tissue of a body, its contents will be delivered to the targeted cavity or tissue as a function of proximity and duration of the contact.
Oral pain due to cavities, canker sores, dentures, braces, teething and cold sores is not only discomforting, but also annoying. This necessitates a need for an instant pain relief product, but drug delivery to the oral mucosa is challenging. Success directly depends on the residence and contact time between the product and the absorbing mucosa, and these have been some of the drawbacks of existing marketed products. Therefore, there is a need to develop a composition for drug delivery wherein the composition is bioadhesive, bioerodible, biodissolvable and biocompatible. Such a composition has the ability to undergo in-situ gelation, controlled erosion, and optimal mucosal adhesion, and thus address the challenges of oral mucosal delivery and overcome the drawbacks of existing commercial products.